He’s soft spoken, has built an empire out of high-end car care products, and has one of the most beautiful car collections around. This is Richard Griot and for the next 8-minutes you’ll be transported into a garage that contains vehicles of all kinds that will inspire you and make you strive for automotive perfection.

The new McLaren P1 dropped last week and it’s orange. Just like its grandaddy, the achingly awesome F1. Why? Because orange is the best color ever. It’s not garish and angry like red or psychotically cheery like yellow. No, it’s eye-searingly incredible and it tells the universe: I mean business. Read More…

It weighs 50,560 lbs, is 70 feet long and packs a 400bhp diesel engine making it the worlds heaviest (and over the top) limousine in existence. Built by Michael Machado and Pamela Bartholemew of California, The Midnight Rider had know intentions of winning a title record from Guinness World Records, however Michael and Pamela sure as hell weren’t going to turn down a free trophy. This baby has been operating steadily since 2004 and can be rented for just about any occasion as long as you’ve got enough moola’ to cover the fuel bill.

Attention to detail and vision – that’s what makes a custom car great. Mitch Allread is a custom builder and fabricator who just happens to have built a one-off creation that would make Max Rockatansky proud. What started life as a 1949 Ford F-5 truck has now been transformed into the mother of all post-apocalyptic vehicles. It’s presence is raw, its look and feel is nothing but sinister, and at days end the builder should be proud that he created something so original.

Cars have lost their charm. They’re sterile, wind-tunnel tested, über-safe cocoons that stir the soul like a washer/dryer combo. On the other hand, yesterday’s cars were packed with passion, but they drive like shit. That’s why companies like Texas-based Gullwing America recreate retro rides based on modern tech. And this, their P/904 Carrera based on a Porsche Boxter, may just be the ultimate retro reboot.

Gullwing America makes a meticulous tribute to the famed Mercedes 300SL called the Panamericana. The car is built on a steel tube chassis with aluminum bodywork—just like the real thing. It rocks a 400-horsepower Mercedes-based V8 (or a 320-horsepower V6 for the faint of heart) and many modern Mercedes parts. It is exquisitely crafted to standards that any German engineer would approve of.

When we think of robots I have a feeling that most of us think of some type of humanoid and or terminator type of contraption. I mean let’s face it, quadrotor helicopters are not the first thing that comes to mind. Regardless though, with all the technological advancements that are going on it should come as no surprise that people are figuring out ways to make even the most ridiculous things behave autonomously. The following experiment was conducted at The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, and utilizes autonomous flying robot quadrotors as they perform the James Bond Theme. Sure the entire experiment is a bit on the weird side, but you’ve got to respect the technology and ingenuity that went into making this happen.

Back in the 1970’s I truly believed that white lettered tires made a car go faster. Granted I was a kid, but that didn’t stop me from visualizing everything from Ferrari’s to Firebird’s with those raised letters. Back them everything from Nascar to Formula 1 ran them and man-o-man did that leave an impression on this little kid from Brooklyn. Today it’s a rare sight to see cars toting the raised letter look, but I’ve got to admit, I still love them. Sure it looks great on muscle cars and on cars from that era, but honestly, I still think it has a place on today’s rides. Whatcha’ think – Yay or Nay to the white roundies?

The Yugo was supposed to unite the Balkans under an umbrella of capitalism, to infuse the area with much-needed jobs and cash. Instead, the car was crap. Still, there’s something endearing about the little hatchback, something honest and pure. That’s why it still has a special place in our hearts—and why designer Milos Paripovic has re-imagined it as an electric. Oh, and also because he wanted to poke fun at electric cars.

When most people think of De Tomaso, they generally think of the iconic Pantera. The Pantera was one of those rare cars that blended Italian design with good ole’ American firepower. However before the Pantera hit the streets, De Tomaso had given the world and even edgier beast. It was called the Mangusta and if it doesn’t make you’re naughty bits tingle then there’s something seriously wrong with you. The Mangusta was originally powered by a mid-mounted 306 hp Ford 289 cubic inch V8 that was hidden under a pair of beautifully designed gull-wing doors. It also had a sloping hood line that ended in a set of quad mounted headlamps. The car was simply stunning and even today can hold its own with some of the best looking automobiles ever made.

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